Liz warns owners after seeing baiting injuries

A WOMAN in the Thetford area who fosters dogs in need has taken in her first dog-baiting victim, a battered English bull terrier.

When a Nottingham dog warden found Little Dot in a coal bunker, he was ‘riddled’ with a life-threatening infection known as septicemia.

Liz Haslam, who has cared for Little Dot for more than a month, is still emotional describing his rescue where, despite being too weak to stand or lift his head, he found the strength to wag his tail, from underneath his body.

“They’re used as bait to train other dogs before they’re put in to a ring with dogs of equal standing,” she explained.

Little Dot is slowly recovering from his ordeal. He has gained 5kg and now takes four tablets a day, down from 12.

When Liz first took him in, his back was covered in engine oil, which had been poured on him while hot and had to be removed.

The bone in his back leg was visible but he was too ill to have it amputated. He had urine burns from staying in his own mess, poor eyesight caused by malnutrition and obvious scars on his back and shoulders.

Liz, who fosters dogs on behalf of Bullie SOS, is warning people hit by the recession against selling dogs online. Her advice is for owners to microchip their dogs and, if selling them, visit the buyer’s home and find out as much about them as possible.

She said: “People getting rid of their dogs need to be aware that this goes on. Little Dot would have been somebody’s family pet at some point.”